Illinois High School Track & Field - Weekend Highlights - February 16, 2020

By Michael Newman

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The performance by Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart Friday at Boston University kickstarted this holiday weekend. The second weekend of February showcased Illinois athletes heading to Kentucky to run on an oversized track, an runner who was injured during cross-country having a performance tell everyone he has returned, and the first indoor meet at a facility north of Rockford that could be one of the top indoor tracks in the state.

Here are some of the highlights from this past weekend

Hart’s Record Breaking Performance Article

Rockton Hononegah Boys Race Videos

Some of the Illinois athletes choose to start their season heading south to the University of Kentucky and the 291-meter track inside the Nutter Fieldhouse. Most of the athletes in this meet have been competing since December. For the Illinois athletes, this is their first race in most cases.

You would not be able to tell that this was the first race of the season for Marianne Mihas of Latin School. The junior ran a top 10 national time in winning the 800 Meter Run at the University of Kentucky High School Invitational running a state leading 2:10.95. It was a personal best for Mihas. Her teammate Ava Parekh also served notice that she will be tough to race against this 2020 season. The sophomore raced twice in Kentucky. Parekh ran a personal best 4:51.05 to win the Girls 1 Mile Run more than two seconds ahead of Sofia Rutherford of Brentwood (TN). Amelia McLain of Benton ran her first meet of the season in this race and came away with a personal best with her 5:07.37 time.

Parekh came back later in the meet to compete in the 2 Mile Run. She ran a personal best of 10:29.49 to finish fourth in the race behind race winner and All-American Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek OH (10:18.94). Tesa Roberts of Brooks Prep ran 56.63 (IL #2) to finish seventh in the 400 Meter Dash.

East St. Louis-Senior made a huge statement to open their season and the defense of their Class 2A State Team Championship. The quartet of Willie Johnson, Darrion Williams, Nathaniel Robinson, and Jamarriante Burgess came from behind to run 3:21.60 (US #5) to win the 1600 Meter Relay in a state leading time. Johnson earlier in the meet ran 1:58.52 in the 800 Meter Run with the state’s early season lead in the event. Robinson started his season by running 51.20 in the 400 Meter Dash.

Xavier Curtis of Glenbard North should be one of top short sprinters in the state. Curtis ran 6.93 (IL #2) in the finals of the 60 Meter Dash to finish fourth. Brooks Harlan of Centralia displayed in the 1 Mile Run of why he will be one of the top Class 2A distance runners in the state. The junior ran a state leading 4:20.18 to finish sixth overall. Two weeks ago at the Music City Invitational in Nashville, Harlan ran 4:20.18 to finish third.

The first Boys Meet at Homewood-Flossmoor of the 2020 also was the first race back for Lincoln-Wat East’s Brett Gardner who missed the State Cross Country Meet and post season national meets due to injury. If there was anyone concerned on his fitness level when he raced for the first time, don’t. Gardner appears to be running with chip on his shoulder and it showed on the H track. Gardner opened his season with a state leading 4:19.36 to win the 1600 Meter Run by almost 30 seconds.

Marshall Ellis of Homewood-Flossmoor is the top sprinter for the Vikings in 2020 after most of their spring squad graduated from their second-place state team. Ellis started his season with a state leading time of 6.89 to win the 60 Meter Dash. Teammate Daylin Williams now has the fastest two times in the state for the 60 Meter Hurdles after his 8.22 time for the win in this event. The Vikings also ran a state leading 1:32.34 in winning the 800 Meter Relay.

It was two thumbs up for Hononegah High School as they hosted their first Boys track meet for the first time in almost four years since the collapse of their domed facility in the winter of 2016. The school has an eight lane straight away with six lanes around their 200-Meter Mondo track. We should see some fast times in the coming weeks from this facility.

The first meet on Saturday was a celebration of track, the celebration of personal bests where there were unlimited entries for this meet. Defending 3A State Champion in the Pole Vault Zach Frye of Lake Park started his season by clearing 4.31m (14’ 1.75”) to in this event. Richie Jacobo of Palatine took the lead just past 400-meters into the 1600 Meter Run. Jacobo went on to run 4:31.41 for the win five seconds ahead of Jacob Bohnert of Oswego (4:36.89).

Notes from the Weekend

Freshman Asia Thomas of Kenwood ran the second fastest time in the state at 60-meters (7.75) Friday night at Homewood-Flossmoor just finishing ahead of HF’s Kaylah McCall (7.80) and Sydney Robinson of Whitney Young (7.86). In the 200 Meter Dash, Alexandria Edison of Homewood-Flossmoor ran 25.58 (IL #2) to finish ahead of Robinson (25.76, IL #3).

York Boys team put up some top performances in a small quad meet Friday night in Hillside. Daniel Klysh of York ran the fastest time in the state running 1:25.27 for 600-meters just ahead of teammate Michael Moriarty (1:27.01). Moriarty earlier in the meet ran 1:59.98 (IL #4) to win the 800 Meter Run. Colin Hill ran 4:29.91 (IL #7) to easily win the 1600 Meter Run.

Isaiah Tyler of Proviso East ran the fastest time in the state for 55-meters as he ran 6.54 for the win and edging Prospect’s John Moellenkamp by just one hundredth of a second. Max Santiago of York ran 8.10 (IL #1) to win the 55 Meter High Hurdles. Richard Buehling of York jumped 13.57m (44’ 6.25”) to win the Triple Jump ahead of teammate Kameron Stearns 13.10m (42’ 11.75”). Both marks are among the state’s top five bests for the event.

At Saturday’s Lonnell Poole Invitational, Trayvon Rudolph of Crete-Monee ran 6.58 (IL #3) to win the 55 Meter Dash ahead of Jamon Williams of Hillcrest (6.63, IL #6). Gemonte Galloway of Bloom jumped 6.68m (21’ 11”, IL #3) on his home runway to win the Long Jump.

Defending Class 2A State Champion Payne Turney of Clinton started her season running 2:19.52 (IL #3) to win the 800 Meter Run at a meet at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center. Monticello’s Mattie Lieb was a double winner running 8.02 to win the 60 Meter Dash and 26.60 to win the 200 Meter Dash by more than a second.

Mara Pletcher of Mahomet-Seymour cleared a personal best 3.76m (12’ 4”) to win the Pole Vault. The win ranks her fourth in the state in that event.

A small quad meet on a small 160-meter track produced some fast distance times Saturday at Hinsdale Central. Erin Reidy of Downers Grove South ran 5:07.0 hand-timed (IL #2) to win the 1600 Meter Run ahead of Naperville North’s Maggie Gamboa (5:09.7, IL #3) and Audrey Mendrys (5:16.5, IL #10).

Campbell Petersen of Naperville North ran 2:20.6 (IL #5) to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Brenna Cohoon of Downers Grove South (2:24.9, IL #11).

Three relay events at the Valentine Relays Saturday in Hillside produced some fast times especially on the Boys side of the meet. Maine South ran 8:14.79 (IL #2) to win the 3200 Meter Relay. Proviso West ran 1:34.55 (IL #5) on their home track to win the 800 Meter Relay ahead of Maine South (1:35.48, IL #10). DeKalb ran 3:30.94 (IL #2) to win the 1600 Meter Relay ahead of Proviso West (3:31.19) and Lyons Township (3:32.25).

In the Girls Relays, Jones Prep ran 10:26.83 to win the 3200 Meter Relay, Proviso West ran 1:51.16 to win the 800 Meter Relay, and Jones Prep came back to run 4:19.06 to win the 1600 Meter Relay.

Plainfield South hosted a triangular meet with Minooka and Neuqua Valley that produced some best performances in this low keyed meet. Niko Schultz of Plainfield South ran a state leading 1:57.9 to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Neuqua Valley’s Nicolas Dovalovsky (1:59.9, IL #4).

Minooka had 13 athletes run under 5-minutes in the 1600 Meter Run led by the 1-2 finish from Vincent Van Eck (4:29.8) and Jason Hoffman (4:30.2).

Matthew Appel of Neuqua Valley had a 17.00m (55’ 9.25”) state leading performance in the Shot Put. Miles Lincoln of Plainfield South had a jump of 13.73m ( 45’ 0.5”, IL#2) to win the Triple Jump.

One of the most shocking performances of the weekend came at the Rockford Auburn Girls Invitational. Cloey Fare of Machesney Park Harlem jumped an astounding 5.99m (19’ 7.75”) in the Long Jump ranking her among the best in the nation so far this season. She entered the season with a 16’ 10.50” best. She popped her first jump over the 19-foot barrier and then was near 17-feet for the remaining of her jumps.

Harlem coach Scott Sholl said in an e-mail that there was an IHSA official there that defended the measurement of the mark. Sholl also said that there was one coach at the pit that thought that the jump was mis-measured. Another coach at the pit said it was a correct measurement.

Harlem’s next meet will be at Hononegah on February 22.

Daryn Davis of Huntley started her season in a big way with a state leading 11.90m (39’ 0.5”, US #14) jump to win the Triple Jump. Davis also ran 9.06 to win the 60 Meter Hurdles.

Samantha Poglitsch used a strong final last lap on her home track to run 5:13.75 (IL #4) to win the 1600 Meter Run Saturday at Wheaton-Warrenville South ahead of Prospect’s Audrey Ginsberg (5:15.15) and Glenbrook South’s Kate Jortberg (5:15.75).

Raelyn Roberson of Glenbrook South jumped 5.54m (18’ 2”) to win the Long Jump. She also ran 7.44 (IL #2) to win the 55 Meter Dash.

Photo: Hononegah hosted their first meet in four years Saturday. (Mike Newman Photo)